


The Nibelheim Incident

by Lalafell_Princess



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Adaptation, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24517060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalafell_Princess/pseuds/Lalafell_Princess
Summary: Cloud and co. gather at the Kalm inn after escaping from the Shinra Building. He's got a lot of explaining to do.
Kudos: 5





	The Nibelheim Incident

**Author's Note:**

> A hefty rework pulled from a larger piece from my past. First person perspectives are rather hit-or-miss, I know, but given that it's Cloud telling the story as an unreliable narrator, I thought it was beneficial for it to be told through his eyes.

Up the stairs I trudge, beyond tired. Every muscle in my body seems to ache with each step I take. Once I reach the landing I flop down on the nearest object, which is a plush feather bed. Low growling makes me lift my head. Red XIII gives an irritated look; my feet are propped up on his back. He wiggles out from under them, leaping to the next bed where Tifa sits and curling up at its foot.

“You okay, Cloud?” Aerith asks from the farthest bed, looking concerned.

I stare at the ceiling. “Yeah, just… worn out.”

“We should all get some rest,” Tifa says, leaning down to untie her laces.

“Hey, wait just a sec!” Barret calls from across the small room. He sits with his back against the hearth. Flames crackle within, bathing the room in a soft glow. “I wanna hear Cloud’s story before we crash! No way am I gonna be able to sleep ‘til I know more about Sephiroth an’ the crisis facin’ the planet.”

“Barret, maybe we should wait until we’ve slept…” Tifa begins gently.

I sit up, wincing slightly. “No, it’s okay. You all deserve to know what you’re getting into.”

Where to even begin? Everyone’s looking at me expectantly; even Red XIII’s ears have perked up in anticipation. I clear my throat. “…I used to want to be like Sephiroth, so I joined SOLDIER. After working with him on several missions, we became friends.”

“You call that a friend?” Barret tilts his head to one side, frowning.

“Well…” The rose-colored sheets are suddenly very interesting to look at. “I guess you could call him a war buddy… we trusted each other. Until…”

“Until what?” Aerith leans forward.

A sigh escapes my lips as I shift to face the wall. This is going to be painful. “We were paired up with a couple grunts to look into an incident. Took us out of town, a long way from Midgar.” I pause, swallowing hard. “…That was five years ago.

“I was sixteen.”

_“It’s sure comin’ down hard.”_

_Rain pounded the metal roof and lashed against the grimy windshield as we rattled down the worn dirt road. The four of us bumped around in the back bed, sitting between boxes of supplies. I moved from the back window over to one of the two infantrymen, who was looking at the floor. His face was pale beneath his helmet._

_“How are you doing?” I asked him._

_“I’m all right,” he said without looking up. The wavering in his voice suggested otherwise._

_“I wouldn’t know…” I gave a slight grimace. “I’ve never had motion sickness.”_

_A low, quiet voice then sounded behind me._

_“Cloud.”_

_To my left was Sephiroth. He sat, arms folded, looking out the rain-streaked window. His long black cloak pooled around him, silver locks flowing over his shoulders. Teal catlike eyes focused on me. “I still need to brief you on this mission. It’s a sensitive issue, so I’ve had to wait until now to divulge the details.”_

_The infantrymen did their best to look focused as I sat on the dusty floor at his feet. “Go on.”_

_“We are to investigate an old Mako reactor. There have been reports of it malfunctioning and producing brutal creatures. First, we will dispose of those creatures. Then, we’ll locate the problem and neutralize it.”_

_“Brutal creatures… where?” I cocked my head._

_“In Nibelheim.”_

_My eyes went wide. “That’s where I’m from!”_

_He closed his eyes in thought before being thrown to the side as the truck shook violently. The seasick grunt fell over me and onto his back, groaning._

_We screeched to a halt, boxes colliding and bumping against the walls. The driver turned around, fear on his face. “S-Sir, something strange just crashed into us!”_

_Sephiroth stood up. “That would be our monster…”_

_He turned to the infantrymen. “Stay here and keep watch.” Silently beckoning to me, he opened the back door and stepped out into the rainstorm._

_My boots sunk into mud as I jumped out after him, shielding my eyes from the driving rain. Through the gloom I could make out the huge, looming form of some terrible beast just up ahead. The glint of Sephiroth’s drawn blade provided guidance in the poor visibility. I nearly ran into him when he abruptly stopped, holding out his hand. The monster had caught sight of us._

_It was some sort of dragonoid creature; green scales glittered with rainwater as beating wings cut through the air, massive claws sticking in the ground as it moved towards us. It let out a guttural sound, enough to make me almost drop my sword. Sephiroth hardly flinched._

_The beast raised its head and opened its maw, revealing rows and rows of sharp, dirty fangs. With another roar it unleashed a burst of fire. I was so stupefied I was unable to move, and surely would have been incinerated. If, that is, something hadn’t shoved me to the side. Muck caked on my clothes as I splashed down to the ground. Sephiroth stood where I’d been, engulfed in the flames. My wet, dirty face twisted into a scream as I tried desperately to get to my feet. I watched with amazement as his figure rushed forth from the fire and threw itself at the monster, slicing it repeatedly. It shrieked in pain and tried to fight back, but it was no match. In no time it was dead, blood oozing out and mixing with the falling rain._

_Sephiroth’s strength was incredible. You’d hear all sorts of remarkable stories about him that were only scraping the surface of how powerful he really was. I was fascinated by the way he fought._

_By the time we reached Nibelheim the rain had cleared up, and bright sunshine illuminated the village. We walked up the path, grayed picket fences lining our way. It was certainly smaller than I remembered it being; things always seem bigger when you're a kid, I guess. But there it all was: buildings of worn wood and peeling paint surrounding a central square with a rusted water tower. Other than the large mansion overshadowing the area, that was it. Just the square and nothing more._

_“How does it feel?” Sephiroth murmured to me. “This is your first time back in quite a while, right?”_

_Sand dusted our boots as we approached the square. “It’s… a little surreal,” I admitted. “Real different from the polished rooms of the Shinra Building, that’s for sure.”_

_A low chuckle escaped him. “I wouldn’t know… the Shinra Building is where I’ve been since I can remember.”_

_“Really?” For all the time I’d spent with him, I barely knew a thing about Sephiroth’s past. I doubt there are many people who do. “What about your family?”_

_A distant gaze filled his eyes. “My mother’s name is Jenova. She died shortly after I was born. My father…” He suddenly laughed, which felt jarring, given the topic. My hair stood on end for a moment before he spoke again. “Why am I talking about this…? It doesn’t matter.”_

_We reached the square, and the subject was dropped. I didn’t really think much more on it; not until…_

“Hold up!”

Barret’s voice cuts my sentence short. “Isn’t Jenova that headless thing we saw in the Shinra Building?”

“Yes, I was getting to that,” I say calmly. “But you interrupted me. Can I continue?”

He grumbles a little before nodding. Aerith’s face lights up, looking between Tifa and me. “It’s a reunion of childhood pals!”

Tifa says nothing. It’s odd—she hasn’t met my eyes since I started the story. She simply stares at the floorboards or into the fire. Maybe it’s just difficult to for her to think on these memories. After all, she knows how it all ends, and the others don’t.

And it’s not a happy ending.

_Yes. In fact, Tifa was our guide up Mt. Nibel, where the reactor was. I remember us playing on those paths when we were younger. She knew those dirt roads better than anyone._

_We kept the monsters at bay as we slowly wound our way up the mountain. Once at the reactor, only Sephiroth and I were allowed inside. Company secrets and all that. Tifa had to stay with the infantrymen._

_Reactors outside Midgar vary in size, depending on their location. The one near Nibelheim was rather small, with just a handful of rooms. From the way it looked, maintenance was desperately needed. Rust gathered on the pipes snaking along the walls, Mako dripping down to the floor._

_“How in the world are we going to fix this…?” I wondered aloud. We’d reached the back room, where pods with round portholes lined a staircase leading to another chamber, the entryway closed. My eyes idly glanced around, catching sight of the faded word JENOVA engraved above the sealed entrance. I did a double take._ Didn’t Sephiroth say Jenova was…?

_“This is the reason for the malfunction.” Sephiroth interrupted my thoughts. He was standing before one of the pods, wearing an expression I couldn’t quite place._

_“What, the pipes? There’s no way we can fix them all on our own. We’d have to go get more men…”_

_He shook his head, not looking up. “The pipes are the least of our worries.”_

_I moved to peer into the porthole as he wordlessly brushed past me. It was a horrid sight: A ghastly creature, teeth bared, wild tendrils flowing off its head, skin a sickly green…_

_“W-what is that?!” Fear and nausea trickled through me as I backed up in disgust._

_He gave me a grim look. “Average members of SOLDIER, like you, are humans that have been exposed to Mako. Different from most, but still human. But these…? They’ve been exposed to a high degree of Mako, far more than you.”_

_“So… these are the monsters we’ve been seeing?”_

_He nodded. “Precisely. And it’s the scientist Hojo of Shinra that’s producing them. Mutated living organisms produced by Mako energy… I should have known…”_

_A thought then surfaced in my mind. “…You said ‘average’ members of SOLDIER. What about you?”_

_It was as though I’d struck him across the face. He staggered, holding his head, eyes wide. I called out to him, and it looked as though he wished to speak, but nothing came out. After a moment, words finally struggled from his lips. “Was I…? Was I created this way too?” He gritted his teeth. “Am I the same as these monsters?”_

_It could have been the blood pounding in my ears, but I swore his voice was quivering._

_“Sephiroth…?” I took a few steps towards him._

_He spun to face me, practically shouting. It was a little frightening; he never raised his voice. “You saw it! All of these…” He slammed his fist against the nearest pod, causing it to shudder. “…Were human once…”_

_His volume dropped back to a murmur. “Ever since I was a child, I knew that I was different… special, in some way. But…” Silver hair fell in front of his face as he shook his head. “Not like this.”_

_He held up his hands, spreading his gloved fingers, which were shaking. I’d never heard him so unsure of himself, never heard him so afraid._

_“Am I… human?”_

_I didn’t really understand what he was saying at the time. I was even more surprised by the fact that Shinra was producing monsters._

“Shinra! The more I hear, the more I hate ‘em!”

Barret mumbles something else to himself, but it’s lost in the crackling of the fire.

“…Who would have thought the reactor held a secret like that,” Tifa says quietly, still looking at the floor.

“That would explain the increase in monsters recently,” Red XIII muses to himself. “Hojo certainly seems the type.”

Aerith absentmindedly twirls her finger through her braid. “Tifa… You were waiting outside during all of that?”

Tifa pauses for a moment before responding. “…Yes.” She doesn’t look up.

“Cloud! Why don’ you finish the story?” Barret says impatiently.

I clear my throat again, preparing myself for what’s to come.

_We returned to Nibelheim. Sephiroth confined himself at the inn. He didn’t even try to talk to me. And then he just… disappeared._

_We finally found him inside the building on the outskirts of the village. Everyone called it Shinra Mansion when we were kids. When the reactor was being built, the workers needed somewhere to stay, and so the mansion was built. After the work was done, it was abandoned._

_All was quiet and dark as I entered. A thick layer of dust coated every surface, my feet disturbing layers of neglect as I walked up the wooden staircase. An infantryman searched in the first room on the right._

_“There’s no sign of him, but I thought I heard something in here…” He was peering behind the counter. “Not much besides dirt and dust, though…”_

_I moved towards the wall. A tapestry hung on the peeling plaster, its frayed fabric depicting a battle long forgotten. The neighborhood kids told wild tales of secret rooms in the mansion, leading to crypts or monsters or portals to other worlds. Growing up, I’d never put much thought into it, but after what I’d witnessed at the reactor, anything seemed plausible. I pushed the tapestry aside; as suspected, underneath was a heavy wooden door. With some effort, I wrenched it open and descended down the rickety spiral stairs to the basement._

_At the end of a rough, cavern-like hallway was a door that opened to a laboratory. The room had an eerie glow, bright greens and pinks cast from test tubes bubbling on the center table and against the wall. Countless glass jars lined the dark bookshelves, dimly colored liquids contained within. Curious contraptions hummed quietly, producing steam or blinking recorded readings. Books lay scattered on the grimy stone floor, open and marked with dark ink. Just how long had all this been running?_

_“…An organism that was in stasis, found in a 2,000-year-old geological stratum.” Sephiroth was pacing the floor, a dusty tome in one hand, tracing over the faded words with the other. His cloak flowed around him as he turned. “Professor Gast named that organism Jenova…”_

_He turned the page. “X year, X month, X day. Jenova confirmed to be an Ancient…” He flipped a few more. “X year, X month, X day. Jenova Project approved. Mako Reactor 1 to be the research site…”_

_I just stood in the doorway and watched him. After a while he stopped, letting the book drop to his side. He looked up at the aged, arching ceiling. “My mother’s name is Jenova… Jenova Project… is this just a coincidence?” He shifted his gaze to the floor. “Professor Gast… Why didn’t you tell me anything?” I saw his hand tighten into a fist, and I had to strain my ears to hear him. “…Why did you die?”_

_It was at this point that I attempted to approach him. Words eluded me, and he wouldn’t meet my gaze._

_“I want to be alone.” The book dropped from his hand as he turned and reached for another._

_I let him be after that. We stayed in Nibelheim for a few days, unsure of what to do since Sephiroth refused to come out of the mansion. I checked on him every now and then, but he never addressed me or even looked at me. He just continued to read as though he were possessed by something, and not once did the light in the basement go out…_

_And then… it happened._

_It was the seventh day after we’d visited the reactor. I’d gone to check on Sephiroth again, and decided to lay down in one of the bedrooms to clear my head. I must’ve fallen asleep, because it was late afternoon when I finally sat up._

_Something had awoken me. Loud thumping was coming from under my feet. I rose and made my way to the room with the concealed basement door. One of the infantrymen was in there, as I’d stationed them to periodically check downstairs to see if anything had changed. He looked petrified. “…Something’s different about Sephiroth,” he said quietly, never taking his eyes from the door._

_“What are you talking about?” I asked him, but he refused to say any more. The thumping started up again, and I opened the secret entrance and raced down the staircase._

_The laboratory door creaked shut behind me as I entered. Soft laughter filtered through the dim room, sending chills across my skin. I gingerly walked down the hallway to the attached circular library. A dark form was hunched over the dusty desk, scribbling something on a scrap of paper._

_“Sephiroth…?” I said hesitantly as I stopped in the doorway._

_“Who is it?!” He turned to me, and I stiffened. His usual calm demeanor had completely vanished, replaced by something bordering on insanity. Catlike eyes were red and twitchy, and yet they still retained their teal glow. Long silver hair was grizzly and unkempt, flowing around him like a shroud. The piece of paper he’d been writing on fell to the floor. The word MOTHER had been scrawled on it, over and over, in dark red ink._

_“You…_ Traitor _.” He bared his teeth at me._

_“Traitor?” I questioned, trying to sound brave._

_He swept from the table, beginning a tirade of words. Most of it went right over my head, but words like ‘Ancient,’ ‘Promised Land,’ and ‘calamity’ stuck out. His voice grew more and more frantic as he spoke, pacing the room like a caged animal._

_“…What does any of that have to do with you?” I dared to ask. Everything had been such a whirlwind during those past few days, and very little of it made any sense to me. What was it that abruptly made Sephiroth change? The monsters in the reactor? Or something he’d discovered in the library?_

_I was about to find out._

_He got a wild look in his eyes. “Don’t you get it? An Ancient named Jenova was found in the geological stratum from 2,000 years ago. The Jenova Project wanted to produce people with the powers of the Ancients…”_

_Unease settled in my stomach as he walked closer. “…_ I _am the one that was produced.”_

_“Pr… produced?!” I gasped._

_“Yes. Professor Gast, leader of the Jenova Project and genius scientist, produced me.” A distant smile played on his lips, and it made my skin crawl._

_“Sephiroth…?!” Raw bewilderment glued me in place. Waves of thought crashed into each other in my mind, trying to sort through this mess we’d gotten ourselves into._

_I staggered as he suddenly pushed past me. “Out of my way. I’m going to see my mother.”_

_The sealed room in the reactor… that had to be where he was going. I climbed the basement steps two at a time, skidding on the dusty mansion floor as I tore down and out the front door. Once I reached the iron gate at the edge of the mansion property I stumbled to a halt. My eyes widened, lit with the bright glow of flames._

_The entire town was ablaze._

_I’ll never understand how he did it so fast. I’d been right behind him._

_People were screeching and shouting, with many already on the blackened ground. One of the infantrymen lay against the water tower in the square, blood dribbling down his chin. Anger and fear boiled inside me._

_More shouting cut through the air and I looked up the path. Sephiroth was cutting down two men with his sword, piercing them over and over, long after they’d been slain. They were tossed aside like rag dolls, his weapon crimson with their blood. He met my gaze, his form silhouetted against the fire. His smirking mouth formed words I couldn’t hear, my pulse quickening._

_And then, he turned and walked directly through the flames and up the path._

_How I ran all the way after him without stopping, I’ll never know._ _When I finally reached the entrance to the reactor, a figure knelt on the ground just inside. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who wanted words with Sephiroth. I halted my pace; it was Tifa, crying softly. A man lay in front of her, bloody and clearly dead._

_“Papa…” She wiped her eyes before catching glimpse of the bloodied weapon next to her fallen father. More tears sparkled in the gloom as she gritted her teeth. “Sephiroth… SOLDIER… Mako reactors… Shinra… everything!” She threw her head back and screamed. “I hate them all!”_

_With a hiccup, she grabbed the sword and ran to the back room. I followed closely behind, calling for her to stop. She could never take him on; it was suicide._

_“Mother, I’m here to see you.”_

_Sephiroth stood in front of the doorway marked JENOVA, arms held out wide, expectant._

_“How could you do that to Papa and the townspeople?!” Tifa bravely ascended the staircase behind him, clearly struggling to hold up the long saber. “You_ monster! _”_

 _He flinched at the word ‘monster,’ turning slowly to see her rushing him. The sword was casually halted mid-swing by his hand. A look of amusement rippled across his face. “_ You’re _the monster.” He wrenched the blade from her grasp and struck her across the front._

_Her descent was graceful, seeming to happen in slow motion as she sailed backwards down the steps. She slid to a halt at my feet, already dripping crimson. Satisfied, Sephiroth turned back to the doorway and pushed his way in with minimal effort._

_I approached Tifa, kneeling down and cradling her head. Blood dribbled down her chin. “…You promised… you promised that you’d come… when I was in trouble…” she gurgled as I hastily tied some torn fabric from my clothes around her growing wound._

_I picked her up and gently moved her to the side, propping her up against one of the metal pods. There was little more I could do for her right then; I had to stop Sephiroth first. I gave a sad expression to her lolling head before the anger resurfaced, and I raced up the stairs to the chamber._

_It was a small circular room, pipes and tubes running up the sides. A grand figurehead was attached to the back wall. It had the head of a woman and winglike protrusions, the lower half turning into a thick red cord snaking to the floor._

_“Mother, let’s take this planet back together.” The tone of Sephiroth’s voice was enough to chill my blood. He stood on the cord, right in front of the statue. “I’ve thought of a wonderful idea. Let’s go to the Promised Land.”_

_I shook off fear and approached him, echoing Tifa's words. “Sephiroth… How could you do this?!”_

_Soft laughter filled the room. “They’ve come again, Mother. You should have ruled this planet. You were stronger, smarter. But then_ they _came… those inferior dullards… They came and took this planet away from you…”_

_His hand brushed the side of figurehead’s face. “But don’t be sad, Mother. I’m here with you now…”_

_The entire thing was then wrenched free from its moorings, sending out a shower of sparks. I ducked, covering my face, and when I looked up the statue was on the floor, crackling and smoking. What it was covering now lay revealed: a large cylindrical tank, coated in a thick layer of dust. Inside was what looked like an alien; the skin was a light purple and tendrils flowed around it in several colors, with some sort of wing attached to its back. On the head of silver hair, a label marked JENOVA was slapped to its forehead. “We meet at last, Mother.”_

_Cold steel touched his skin, causing him to finally turn and look at me. My sword pressed against his back. “Have you completely lost your mind?!”_

_I braced myself as he shoved me backwards with blinding speed. My boots skidded on the rubber cord. “I am the chosen one,” he purred. “I have been chosen to rule this planet. I have orders to take it back from you stupid people.”_

_“I trusted you…” I heard myself say. Tears pricked my eyes; from anguish or anger, I wasn’t sure._

_I then flung myself at him. “But you’re not the Sephiroth I used to know!”_

“…And that’s the end of my story.” I run a hand through my hair, sighing silently.

“Wait a minute! Ain’t there more?” Barret jumps up from his seat by the fire.

I shrug, letting my tired eyes close. “…I can’t remember.”

“What happened to Sephiroth?” Aerith asks in a hushed tone.

Blonde locks brush my face as I shake my head. “In terms of skill I couldn’t have killed him.”

“Official records state Sephiroth is dead,” Tifa says quickly. “I read it in the newspaper, way back then. Of course, the paper is run by Shinra, so we can’t always rely on it as truth…” She trails off.

“I want to know what happened,” I admit. “I challenged Sephiroth and lived. Why didn’t he kill me? And you, Tifa?” My gaze travels to her, but she won’t meet it.

Aerith looks thoughtful. “Seems like a lot of this doesn’t make sense. What about Jenova? That was it in the Shinra Building, right? Why was it missing when we escaped?”

Thoughts of the headless, lavender-skinned body crop up in my mind, and of how the container had been ripped apart. It almost seemed like it had been forced open from the inside… but is that possible? “Sephiroth…?”

Barret curses, stamping his foot. “Don’t none of this make sense! I’m just gonna fight for the planet, and leave the thinkin’ to you!” He shuffles to the stairs. “I need to take a walk to clear my head. The rest of ya get some rest, ya hear?” He stomps down the creaky steps, mumbling the whole way.

Red XIII, who I thought had fallen asleep, murmurs to himself. “What a fascinating story…” He then rests his head and says nothing more.

I fall back onto the bed, struggling to stay awake. Despite my exhaustion, my head is overrun with thoughts and information. Why _can’t_ I remember what happened? There’s a massive gap in my psyche; one moment I’m confronting Sephiroth, the next I’m sitting in the rain on the streets of Midgar with Tifa standing over me. What exactly transpired in the middle? It must be in there somewhere, in the unruly mess of my brain. I’ll have to keep searching… but, not tonight.

An idle thought then rises to view. Maybe I should ask Tifa what she thinks of all this. She was there; severely injured, but still there. I don’t want to burden her right now with more harsh memories of the past, though, since it seemed to affect her so negatively. I push the thought to the side for some other time.

The fire is extinguished, shrouding the room in darkness. The rustling of sheets breaks the heavy silence as we retire to our respective beds. Moonlight stretches across the floor from the curtained window, the only light besides the glowing tip of Red XIII’s tail as he lies curled at the foot of Tifa’s bed.

I fall asleep almost instantly. The respite that sleep brings is usually welcoming, but my dreams decide instead to continue, and amplify, my trials.

A dark and endless expanse engulfs me. Pitiful whimpers catch my attention, and two people materialize at my feet. Tifa and Aerith both lie in their own blood, huge gashes cut into their bodies. Aerith is already dead, but Tifa manages to get a sentence out. “You promised… you promised you’d come for me… You promised you’d protect her…”

The area is lit with the blinding glow of fire. Sephiroth steps out of the flames, his sword coated in the girl’s blood. He licks the blade, offering a grin. I reach for my weapon, only to find it rusted and useless, the hilt coming off in my hands.

In the next instant I’m impaled on that long saber, my feet several inches off the ground. He laughs as I struggle, swinging me back and forth, taunting me. Blood flows from my mouth as I silently scream.

A voice fills my ears.

 _Too bad you can’t save them… You’re nothing but a_ weakling _._

I fling into an upright position. My chest heaves, coated in a layer of cold sweat. A quick perimeter check of the room reveals all to be peaceful. Tifa and Aerith are fast asleep in their beds as well as Red XIII, with a returned Barret snoring against the empty hearth, head lolled to one side.

I try to will my heartrate back to normal speed. _It’s okay, it was just a dream… No one’s dead, everything’s fine…_

But I can’t shake the image of Tifa pleading with me as she lay dying. And Sephiroth’s grin…

Chills erupt on my flesh as I throw back the covers. Weak light creeps in through the window, signaling it’s just after dawn. I can’t bring myself to try and sleep again, so I pull on a shirt and gingerly descend the staircase.

The lobby is empty; even the front desk is void of a receptionist. I push the door open and walk out into the morning, plopping down on the stone steps. A light breeze rustles my hair, helping to somewhat calm my nerves. I’m used to nightmares; I’ve had them my whole life. Reuniting with Tifa and making all these new acquaintances, however, seems to have made them much worse than before. The return of Sephiroth isn’t helping either.

I rub my arms, suddenly feeling cold despite the warm morning. It’s so hard to believe he’s back. Where has he been all this time? Has he been building an army to destroy Shinra with? Or creating a massive weapon to use on them? Or perhaps something worse?

I grit my teeth. It’s so frustrating that I can’t remember everything from when he burned Nibelheim. Maybe if I had all the facts, I could piece together where he’s been, and what he plans to do next. Instead I have hazy memories, horrid nightmares, and an ache in my head.

I lean against the pillar supporting the roof over the steps. We have to find Sephiroth. His return can only be an omen for bad things to come. Whatever he has in mind to do to Shinra or the planet as a whole could put the entirety of the human race at risk. I know what he’s capable of, and we have to stop him as soon as possible.

My eyes close, the rising sun warming my weary face. I allow my body to rest for a while, drifting into a light slumber that’s thankfully devoid of dreams.


End file.
